2014 Korean Music Awards: Album of the Year

The nominees for this year’s Korean Music Awards, the 11th so far, were announced last week. A day later we launched our own predictions poll, where you can pick who you think will win each category for a chance to get a price of your own. But what are the alternatives, really? That’s what will try to figure out until the real winners are announced on February 28th. Today we’re starting with a look at the nominees for Album of the Year.

Youn Sun Nah – Lento

Jazz vocalist Youn Sun Nah released her 8th studio album Lento in March 2013. It had been recorded in Sweden a few months earlier and like many of her previous releases is also distributed outside of Korea through German label ACT. Soon after the release Lento claimed first spot on jazz charts in France, Germany and Belgium, and by November it had earned Youn Sun Nah the German Jazz Golden Awards.

In addition to being nominated for Album of the Year, Lento is competing for Best Jazz Album. Youn Sun Nah herself is nominated for Artist of the Year. Youn Sun Nah has already won Best Jazz Album at the Korean Music Awards 3 times with both Voyage (2008) and Same Girl (2010) also getting nominated for Album of the Year.

This is Youn Sun Nah singing her own composition “Lament”, the second track on the album:

Sunwoo Jung-A – It’s Okay, Dear

Singer-songwriter Sunwoo Jung-A released her debut album Masstige in 2006, but it was not until April 2013 that second full-length album It’s Okay, Dear followed. As an artist of many talents proficient in several genres, Sunwoo Jung-A mixed pop with jazz while playing a wide array of instruments for the album.

It’s Okay, Dear is nominated also for Best Pop Album whereas Sunwoo Jung-A is nominated for Artist of the Year.

The lead track of the album, “뱁새 (Baepsae)” was promoted with a music video:

Jang Pil Soon – Soony Seven

Folk musician Jang Pil Soon made her debut in 1982 and released her first solo album in 1989. By 2002 her sixth album came out and in August 2013 7th album Soony Seven followed. In addition to writing the lyrics to a few of the songs, Jang Pil Soon was the album’s executive producer.

Soony Seven has earned Jang Pil Soon the most nominations for the 11th edition of the Korean Music Awards. It is nominated also in the Best Modern Rock Album category with album track “맴맴” nominated both for Song of the Year and Best Pop Song and Jang Pil Soon nominated for Artist of the Year.